Background: Motor skill programs are effective in the development of children's fundamental motor skills (FMS). However, the key point that should be kept in mind here is the degree of the stability of the training effects on children's motor skills. Objective: The purpose of the present study is to observe the permanence of the effects of motor skills training on children's FMS aged 4-6 years for one year. Methods: The study was carried out among 39 preschool children, 17 girls (age 5.31 ± 0.23 years) and 22 boys (5.23 ± 0.20 years) without any previously-identified health problems. The participants were randomly chosen and divided into an experimental group trained motor skills with physical education specialists (n = 19) and a control group that performed ordinary preschool physical activities (n = 20). The Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd ed. was also used to measure children's FMS in the pre-test, the post-test, and the follow-up after 12 months. The training course was done 2 days a week. Each session lasted 45 minutes, too. In addition, mixed model repeated measure multiple analysis of covariance was used to examine the impact of the training. Results: Although the motor skills training helped improve the locomotor and object control skills among the children from pre-test to post-test (p < .001), a significant difference was not observed in the control group. Moreover, the development of boy subjects and girl participants was significantly different in the object control (p = .037). Finally, a significant difference was not observed between the post-test and follow-up in the object control and the locomotor skills of the experimental group. Conclusions: It seems that the FMS training under physical education specialists should be continuously done for 4-6 years old subjects, with more emphasis on developing girls' object control skills.

Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health University of Tehran Tehran Iran

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